Metallic points for loom shuttles



May 16, 1967 R. MUELLER METALLIC POINTS FOR LOOM SHUTTLES 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 1, 1965 INVENTOR mam-10w MUELLER.

ATTORNEY y 6, 1967 v R. MUELLER 3,319,664

METALLIC POINTS FOR LOOM SHUTTLES Filed June 1, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet 2' mvsmox Reinhold Mueller ATTORNEY United States Patent M 6 Claims. (Cl. 139196) This invention relates to shuttles for looms and, more particularly to the metallic points or tips thereof. The usual shuttle consists of a wooden body the end of which is provided with a metallic tip in order to protect the wooden body and to avoid rapid wear resulting from impacts. The metallic tip is preferably of steel wth a tempered point.

In prior art shuttles the interface between the wooden body and the metallic tip is in a plane substantially normal to the longitudinal axis of the shuttle. Since the apex angle of the generally conical tip is relatively small, the boundary edge thereof at the interface is sharp. As a result, wear of the wooden body at the interface presents a crack which, even although microscopic in size, results in damage to the warp threads, particularly if they are of delicate material such as synthetics of capillary size.

In order to insure a firmer hold and as smooth a transition as possible at the interface between the wooden body of the shuttle and the metallic point, a ring of vulcanized rubber has been interposed and is cemented to both the metal and the wood. However, this construction results in the difiiculty that the cement becomes loose after a period of use of even a few hours, with the appearance of a fine crack between the sharp metal edge of the point and the vulcanized ring which again results in damage to the warp threads due to scraping thereof as the shuttle travels across them at high speed. A shuttle in which the cement between the metallic point and the rubber ring has become loose, is no longer completely free from faults and must be completely rebuilt because of the damage it will do to warp threads, particularly if they are of synthetic resin, artificial silk, and/ or of capillary size.

It is the chief object of the present invention to provide a shuttle point in which the danger of exposure of a sharp edge thereof is eliminated, even if the cement becomes loosened and disappears.

As a corollary, it is a further object to provide a shuttle point which obviates the danger of damage to the warp threads.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be clear to those skilled in the art after a study of the following detailed description.

The foregoing objects and advantages of the invention are attained in general by so forming the interface of the metallic point that it is beveled or broken away to form a relatively large angle with the longitudinal axis of the generally conical tip. These objects may be attained with or without the aforesaid intermediate layer. If the interfaces between the metallic point and the wooden body of the shuttle are flat or lie in a plane normal to the longi tudinal axis of the assembled shuttle, a ring-shaped intermediate layer of plastically deformable material is interposed between the interfaces and is cemented to both the wooden body and the metallic point.

By beveling the edge of the metallic point at the aforesaid interface the troublesome sharp scraping edge is eliminated as well as the damage to warp threads which such edge inevitably causes. This highly beneficial result remains even although the cement afiixing the ring between the interfaces, wears away. Furthermore subsequent refinishing or repair of the shuttle, which if generally not successful, is obviated. Thus the useful life of a shuttle embodying the invention is greatly prolonged 3,319,664 Patented May 16, 1967 over prior art shuttles and is made independent of the attachment between the wooden body and the metallic point, while damage to warp threads otherwise usually inherent in prior art shuttles, is avoided and obviated.

It is also possible to embody the invention in a form wherein the aforesaid intermediate layer or ring between the wooden body and the metallic point is omitted. In such constructions the adhesion is sufficient and with a beveled peripheral edge at the interface the scraping edge of prior art constructions is eliminated, as well as the damage to warp threads inevitably resulting therefrom.

In carrying the invention into practice it has been found that forms of contact surfaces or interfaces other than flat and circular, give good results. For example, the edge of the contact surfaces can be in a direction other than parallel to the direction of the warp threads. In such a construction it is not necessary to use an intermediate layer. However, it is important where the contact surfaces are angularly related to the direction of extent of the warp threads that the peripheral edges of the metal point at the interface, be beveled.

The drawing shows by way of example, forms which the shuttle point may have in carrying the invention into practice, wherein:

FIGURE 1 shows a portion of a shuttle equipped with a point and an intermediate ring;

FIGURE 2 is a detail perspective view of a shuttle point embodying the invention;

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged side view of the shuttle point of this invention.

Referring in detail to the drawing, the numeral 1, FIG- URE l, identifies the end portion of the wooden body of a shuttle. A metallic point 2 is attached to body portion 1. FIGURE 2 and FIGURE 3 show the point detached and from this it is seen to consist of a unitary item having a nose of generally conical or beehive form as indicated at 6, and a flat base 5 in a plane normal to the axis of the conical nose which is also considered as the longitudinal axis of the shuttle. A shank 9 of generally cylindrical form extends from base 5 coaxially thereof and fits and is secured in any suitable way, within an axial hole in the wooden body of the shuttle.

Still referring to FIGURE 2 and FIGURE 3, is is noted that the edge otherwise formed between the generally conical tip or nose of the point and base 5, is beveled at 4 to form a frusto-conical rim making an obtuse angle or at 4a. The peripheral edge 4 is continuous and beveled at an angle to the axis 10, each point of the beveled or frusto-conical surface lying in a respective one of a plurality of lines intersecting said axis at an angle B of the order of 45 degrees. The generally circular groove or channel thus formed in the assembled shuttle, at the periphery of the interfaces between shuttle body 1 and point 2 is filled with a ring or band 3 of material as previously described.

While the surface of the shuttle point has been described as generally conical it will be understood that this if for convenience of description and that the surface is preferably that formed, for example, by rotating the arc of a circle extending from its point of intersection with a chord, about the chord as an axis or, in other words, the surface is preferably of beehive shape.

Due to the fact that the peripheral edge about the base of the shuttle point is at an angle with respect to the direction of extent of the warp threads, there is no tendency of the threads to be caught and damaged by the rapid traverse of the shuttle across and between them. As a result the shuttle can be used indefinitely even although a ring such as 3, FIGURE 1, is used and the cement securing it to body 1 and point 2, becomes loose or worn away.

Having now fully disclosed the invention, What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A shuttle for looms, comprising a non-metallic body portion having a central longitudinal axis and a forwardlyfacing end surface, a generally conical metallic point attached thereto and having a rearwardly-faeing base surface in contact with said end surface, and means securing said surfaces in contacting relation to form a shuttle assembly having a smooth regular contour, the peripheral edge of said rearwardly-facing base surface being beveled at an angle to said central longitudinal axis. 2. The shuttle of claim 1, said beveled surface defining an outwardly-facing channel between said body portion and metallic point, and the means securing said surfaces comprising a continuous ring of vulcanized rubber fitting and secured Within said channel and forming with said body portion and point a fair smooth and continuous shuttle surface.

3. A metallic point for a shuttle for looms, comprising a nose portion having a generally conical surface symmetrical about a central longitudinal axis and a base surface intersecting said axis, the peripheral edge formed by the intersection of said base surface and said generally conical surface being beveled in a frusto-conical surface at an angle to said longitudinal axis.

4. A metallic point as in claim 3, said base surface lying in a plane normal to said longitudinal axis, said peripheral edge being circular.

5. A shuttle point comprising a metallic substantially conical nose portion having a central longitudinal axis fixed with said base surface and extending rearwardly therefrom along said axis.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,205,025 6/ 1940 Balfour 139196 2,699,186 1/1955 Gosselin 139 -196 2,828,775 4/ 1958 Rutherford 139-196 2,862,526 12/ 1958 Consoletti l39196 2,881,806 4/1959 Abreu 139-496 FOREIGN PATENTS 5,291 1880 Great Britain.

389,459 2/ 1924 Germany.

817,428 10/ 1951 Germany. 1,021,811 12/1952 France.

MERVIN STEIN, Primary Examiner.

I KEECHI, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A SHUTTLE FOR LOOMS, COMPRISING A NON-METALLIC BODY PORTION HAVING A CENTRAL LONGITUDINAL AXIS AND A FORWARDLYFACING END SURFACE, A GENERALLY CONICAL METALLIC POINT ATTACHED THERETO AND HAVING A REARWARDLY-FACING BASE SURFACE IN CONTACT WITH SAID END SURFACE, AND MEANS SECURING SAID SURFACES IN CONTACTING RELATION TO FORM A SHUTTLE ASSEMBLY HAVING A SMOOTH REGULAR CONTOUR, THE PERIPHERAL EDGE OF SAID REARWARDLY-FACING BASE SURFACE BEING BEVELED AT AN ANGLE TO SAID CENTRAL LONGITUDINAL AXIS. 